"Gaia College was instrumental in forming a new career path for me, as well as being a welcoming and exciting forum of like-minded individuals that want to do something to help heal our planet, one garden at a time."
- Sarah Valentine, March 2022
Are you looking:
- To live and work in a way that is congruent with your personal values?
- For horticulture skills that are relevant in these times of environmental and social change?
- For a career that satisfies your need to make a meaningful contribution to your community?
Flexible schedule - fits into your life
There is no timeline to fulfill the diploma requirements. Upon successful completion of the 4 core courses and 1 elective course,you will earn the Gaia College Diploma in Organic Land Care.
Affordable
We are proud to have kept the price of our courses affordable for over 20 years! We want everyone to be able to access this valuable and earth-saving information. Please see: Enrolment and Fees
Lifetime Access
All graduates are welcomed into the Gaia College community with lifetime access to resources and online forums.
Build meaningful connections with your peers
You will gain extra value from your discussions with other students from various geographic locations that will contribute to your course experience.
Expert Instruction
Our instructors are leading practitioners in organic land care and sustainability fields.
Plan your Program
Our courses start in January, May, and September and run 14 weeks (see Course Planning and Schedules). Our courses are offered in a continuing education format so you can complete them according to your schedule. Each course is presented as 14 weekly topics, students are expected to complete the assigned work and quizzes in the course timeframes.
Students wishing to enrol in more than 3 courses in one semester are required to seek permission from the College Registrar prior to registering.
Certain courses aren’t offered every semester so for your planning purposes please see the Course Schedule Calendar.
Embark on a fulfilling and rewarding career
The Diploma in Organic Land Care will prepare you for a rewarding career in sustainable land use decision making.
Gaia College offers two streams for students to complete their diploma requirements, one in landscape design and one in sustainable land use in urban environments.
Regardless of the stream, students will prepare themselves for a fulfilling and successful career in organic land care.
Choose your diploma stream
Each diploma stream consists of four core courses and one elective. The elective can be any of our courses that aren't included as a core course.
Ecological Landscape Design
For those who want to learn how to design, install and maintain landscapes to promote and preserve the health of the environment. Incorporate organic land care into all of your designs and gardens.
New and working landscape professionals including landscape designers and horticulturalists who wish to gain a competitive edge by providing organic land care services.
Core courses:
Organic Horticulture Specialist
Ecological Plant Knowledge 1 - Natives
Landscape Design Basics with SketchUp Pro
Living Green Infrastructure
For those who want to gain a deep understanding of nature’s contribution to the success of human created infrastructure. Make better and more integrated decisions to support the sustainability of land use in urban environments.
Planners, policy makers, horticulture professionals working in an urban setting and developers who want to learn more about incorporating and maintaining living green infrastructure in urban spaces.
Core courses:
Organic Horticulture Specialist
Ecological Plant Knowledge 1 - Natives
Rainwater Harvesting and Management
Student Testimonial"I would like to thank the founders and staff of the college for keeping and passing on this simple truth and knowledge about land care. I absolutely enjoyed taking every single course of the Diploma program and feel inspired and more confident in starting to apply the knowledge I received in my future work and life."
- Jamila Bektenova - Feb. 2021